British Muslim singer Zayn Malik may be a known figure now, but he faced hardships when he was just 17 and on his way to stardom. The singer recently revealed that he was detained at the US airport for hours because of his background when he was 17 years old.
Zayn shared his experience with Evening Standard and gave details about the day he was detained because of his origins. The singer was on his first trip to America and despite being a member of the One Direction band, he faced several security checks.
At first, the singer thought it was a normal security check procedure, but he realised later that he was detained for three hours and subjected to odd questioning.
"The first time I came to America, I had three security checks before I got on the plane," he told the daily. "First they said that I'd been randomly selected, and then they said it was something to do with my name, it was flagging something on their system.
"When I landed, it was like a movie. They kept me there for three hours, questioning me about all kinds of crazy stuff. I was 17, my first time in America, jet-lagged off the plane, confused. The same thing happened the next time too."
However, the singer doesn't have any hard feelings about it and says that he understands the caution security personnel need to take.
"I understand the level of caution that needs to be taken, especially now, in the light of certain events at home," he said. "I don't think there's any benefit to getting angry — it's something that comes with the climate. I understand why they've got to do it."
He also confessed that he is proud to be from the Muslim background. "I take a great sense of pride — and responsibility — in knowing that I am the first of my kind, from my background," he added.
